Pinch of Wellness

  • Breakfast
  • Main Entrees
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
  • Desserts
  • Wellness
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Spring
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free

    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    Published: Apr 20, 2020 · Modified: Feb 17, 2022 by Ashlee Welter · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Cheesy, creamy, and slightly spicy -- a new dinner time favorite! Jalapeno popper chicken casserole has all ingredients of a jalapeno popper combined into a casserole and mixed with chicken and cheese. This is a flavorful, cheesy and somewhat spicy dinner option.

    This recipe is a family favorite and we make it all the time! I make it using healthy ingredient substitutions, which are listed below!

    Whenever I hear Jalapeno poppers, I think of football games. Jalapeno poppers instantly resonate as a popular tailgate food. Since I love jalapeno poppers but don't love spending the time making them, this casserole is a quick and easy alternative!

    For anyone who has never had a jalapeno popper, it is typically a jalapeno that is cut in half, filled with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Jalapeno poppers can be baked or grilled. This recipe for jalapeno popper chicken casserole combines all of the standard jalapeno popper ingredients, and adds chicken and some extra spices to make it a casserole dish.

    It's much easier than making individual poppers because you don't have to worry about stuffing individual peppers with a cream cheese mixture! If you like Jalapeno poppers, you will LOVE this recipe!

    Ingredients Needed For Jalapeno Popper Casserole

    • Chicken breast - used cooked & shredded chicken breast. Rotisserie chicken or crock pot chicken would work great. The recipe calls for 16 oz of chicken - this is the weight of the chicken breast after it has been cooked (about 1.5 pounds raw chicken breast).
    • Bacon: cook your own bacon and chop into pieces or use bacon bits as an easy alternative (a 2.5 oz package of bacon bits will work). Sub with turkey bacon to make it healthier.
    • Garlic powder: sub with minced, fresh garlic if desired
    • Onion powder: sub with minced, fresh onion if desired
    • Fresh jalapeno peppers: remove all or most seeds. Chop into ½ inch pieces
    • Salt and pepper (optional)
    • Cream cheese: any brand will work, use low-fat cream cheese as a healthy option.
    • Cheese: Use sharp cheddar for a stronger flavor. Sub with 2% fat shredded cheese as a healthy option.

    How To Make This Dish Healthier

    There are several ingredient modifications that can be made to make this jalapeno popper casserole healthier. Pair this dish with some fruit and veggies on the side to make it even healthier! Here are some healthy substitution ideas:

    • Cream Cheese: use a low fat version of cream cheese to save on calories and fat. Look for "⅓ less fat" or "low fat" on the label. I do not recommend using fat free cream cheese, because the texture is more gritty and does not hold up as well. Also, the flavor is not as good.
    • Turkey Bacon: Substitute the regular bacon with turkey bacon- it is slightly lower in fat and calories than regular bacon. If you're concerned about sodium intake, use less turkey bacon than called for.
    • Chicken Breast: boneless, skinless chicken breast is a low fat and healthy protein source and is already used in the recipe.
    • Cheese: use cheese that is low fat or made with 2% milk fat.
    • Serving Size: in addition to making the recommended ingredient substitutions, limit the serving size to 1 serving (about ⅛th of the casserole) to keep calories and fat down.

    Nutritional Analysis of Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole

    The nutritional facts for jalapeno popper casserole are based on a serving size that is a piece ⅛th of the casserole.

    Regular Version: Jalapeno popper casserole that is made with ingredients that are not low calorie / low fat consists of 375 calories, 30 grams of fat and 4 grams of carb. This version of jalapeno popper casserole is considered keto, because it is high in fat and low in carbs.

    Modified Healthy Version: If all the healthy substitutions that are listed above are made, the casserole contains 300 calories and 20 grams of fat per serving.

    Is Jalapeno Popper Casserole Spicy?

    This dish can be made as mild or as spicy as you like!

    To make the dish mild: remove all seeds from the jalapenos when chopping them.

    To make the dish spicier: Leave in some of the jalapeno seeds. While it is definitely not advised to leave all seeds in, leave in about 4-5 seeds per jalapeno. When I made this dish, I left a few seeds in each pepper and the dish had a medium level of spice.

    How To Serve Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    Jalapeno Popper Casserole can be eaten anyway you desire! While this was created so that it was substantial enough to be eaten alone as the main dish, it can also be eaten as a dip. The dish also pairs great with almost anything. Here some suggestions:

    • Serve jalapeno popper casserole as the main entree, pair with a side salad and some fruit
    • Make it a wrap: take a tortilla and spread about ½ cup of casserole evenly in the tortilla. Roll up and serve hot or cold.
    • Serve as a jalapeno popper dip - use carrot sticks, celery sticks, crackers or chips. Serve along side some other dips, such as this healthy spinach artichoke dip or healthy buffalo chicken dip.
    • Make it a sandwich: place the casserole between 2 slices of bread or crackers. Serve warm or cold.
    • Serve with a side of one of these gluten free veggie recipes or keep it spicy and serve with a side of air fryer cauliflower bites.

    If you are looking for more casseroles, be sure to check out this list of casseroles made with ground turkey!

    What To Make With Leftover Jalapenos Peppers

    The inspiration from this dish came because I was trying to figure out what to do with fresh jalapenos that I purchased from the store on a whim. Since most people don't just eat Jalapeno peppers plain, they go best in a casserole or some type of dish that neutralizes the spice factor.

    Here's a few dishes that you can make with fresh jalapenos or use your leftover jalapenos in:

    • Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
    • Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
    • Dice the Jalapenos and add to chili
    • Add chopped jalapenos to taco meat for an extra kick
    • Add them to your favorite homemade salsa recipe!
    • If you're feeling really crazy, challenge your kids to a jalapeno eating contest (just kidding!)
    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    More Dinner Recipes

    • Philly Cheesesteak Skillet (Keto)
    • Healthy Chicken Burritos
    • Buffalo Chicken Dip with Greek Yogurt
    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    Ashlee Welter
    Jalapeno chicken casserole has cream cheese, chicken, jalapenos and bacon layered into a casserole dish to make a quick and easy dinner option!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 458 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 16 oz shredded chicken breast, cooked
    • 12 pieces bacon, cooked & chopped
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 6 medium fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped (remove all or most seeds)
    • salt and pepper (optional)
    • 16 oz cream cheese, softened (optional: use low-fat cream cheese)
    • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional: use sharp cheddar cheese with 2% milk fat)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 2.5 quart baking dish.
    • Combine the cooked & shredded chicken, chopped bacon, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until combined
    • Chop jalapenos into ¼ inch pieces (see notes section regarding the seeds). Add to the chicken mixture and mix well.
    • Add softened cream cheese. Mix well.
    • Spread evenly into prepared baking dish.
    • Bake for 20 minutes.
    • Remove from oven, top with shredded cheese.
    • Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm.

    Notes

    To make this casserole less spicy: remove the seeds from all jalapenos.
    To make this spicier: leave about 4-5 seeds in each jalapeno. 
    Calories if healthy modifications are made: 300 calories/serving

    Nutrition

    Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 399mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1045IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @pinchofwellness or tag #pinchofwellness!

    More Delicious Recipes

    • Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Easy Rotel Chicken Casserole
    • Easy Chicken Fajitas in the Instant Pot

    More Gluten Free

    • Chili flakes on a blue background
      Chili Flakes vs. Red Pepper Flakes
    • grilled chicken breasts on a wood cutting board
      Chicken vs. Tofu (A Nutritional Comparison
    • recipes with frozen cherries
      Recipes with Frozen Cherries
    • filipino chicken pancit
      Chicken Pancit

    Comments

    1. Kykie says

      September 21, 2022 at 1:51 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out so dang good!

      Reply
      • Ashlee Welter says

        September 28, 2022 at 8:40 am

        Yay!!!

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    ashlee welter pinch of wellness

    Hi, I'm Ashlee! I'm a Registered Dietitian with over 12 years of experience in nutrition, cooking, and health! I am an expert in developing gluten free and healthy recipes!

    More about me!

    as featured in

    Top Healthy Recipes

    • salmon buddha bowls with teriyaki sauce
      Teriyaki Salmon Bowl
    • low-carb-philly-cheesesteak-skillet
      Healthy Philly Cheesesteak Skillet (Low Carb)
    • air-fryer-buffalo-cauliflower wings
      Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites
    • air-fryer-buffalo-chicken-tenders
      Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders
    • gluten-free-sweet-and-sour-chicken
      Healthy Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Chicken
    • Healthy Spaghetti Sauce
      Healthy Spaghetti Sauce
    • Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip
      Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
    • BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes
      BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    Spring Favorites

    • honey chipotle wings
      Honey Chipotle Wings
    • Chicken Burrito Skillet
      Chicken Burrito Skillet
    • Healthy Chicken Burritos
      Healthy Chicken Burritos
    • buffalo-chicken-rice-bowls-8
      Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls

    Popular

    • roasted brussles sprouts and sparagus on a sheet pan
      Roasted Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts
    • close up of arugula leaves.
      The Best Substitute For Arugula
    • closeup of yukon gold potatoes
      Substitute for Yukon Gold Potatoes
    • chipotle southwest sauce with limes, brown bread and a blue towel in the background.
      Chipotle Southwest Sauce

    Work With Me!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Footer

    as featured in footer 360x200
    • About Me
    • Accessibility

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclosure
    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 Pinch of Wellness LLC

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.